Monday, September 14, 2009

Vintage Prairie Doll

Very rare late 19th century folk art carved prairie doll.This appears to be hand made with a solid wood torso with

original crackled paint and cloth arms and legs. The head has remnants of hair remaining and I'm not sure what type of hair it is (possibly cowhide?), but your can see the rawhide underneath. You can see how this patchwork of rawhide hair was nailed to the head and what's left forms an amazing document of 19th century make do doll making on the frontier.